Why AI Coding Tools Should Be Measured by Retained Changes, Not Accepted Suggestions
Tracking AI coding assistant performance by accepted suggestions is misleading, as code can be rewritten or reverted after acceptance while still counting as a success. A more reliable approach connects three data points — acceptance, merge status, and retention over time — to form a funnel metric rather than a single flattering percentage. The recommended unit is cost per retained task, calculated by dividing total tool, review, and rework costs by the number of changes that remain stable after a defined period, such as 14 days. Teams should segment results by task type and repository, and also track counter-metrics like rollback rate, escaped defects, and review time to avoid skewed averages. Expansion of AI tool usage should only proceed if retained-task cost improves on existing workflows without increasing rollback rates, with a baseline recorded before the tool is enabled.
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